Flips: Books on adventures in India

Erin Reese, a one-time corporate executive left her job to become a backpacker and has never looked back since. This Bindi girl takes readers on a wild journey, filled with spiritual comedies and melodramas. Travelling and discovering this vast country, she indulges in everything and anything that comes her way, true to her hippie style. That is until she meets her own match in a young stranger who whisks her away for the ultimate test in adventure.

Bats, Rats, and Holy Cows or Seventeen Days in India: One Family’s Adventure

By Mariann Margulis

Author Mariann Margulis always travels with her two boys wherever she goes. This time, they travel for 17 days through a country often judged by its Taj Mahal– postcard image. Come share their journey as they ride a camel, sail through the polluted Ganga, and even walk barefoot in the Rat Temple. An experienced traveller and travel writer who made her first solo trip through the Middle East when she was only 18, Margulis offers unusual insights, which are partly shaped by the viewpoints of her young sons.

Around India in 80 Trains

By Monisha Rajesh

They say that to experience the “real” India, you have to come in contact with the good, the bad, and the ugly, which include the infamous transport system. Indian-born Monisha moved to England for a better life only to return 20 years later to discover the India she had stayed away from. With an Indian Railway map and page from Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, she rides 80 trains around India in hopes of a life-changing journey.

Hot Tea across India

By Rishad Saam Mehta

In a witty and hilarious voice, Rishad Saam Mehta recounts his journey across India on his Bullet motorcycle, describing how he almost lost his vehicle, and at one point, was mistaken for a terrorist. The name of his book is derived from his quest to find tea stalls in the most remote locations and indulge in his love for tea. The insightful travelogue also gives readers tips for riding their way through India.

Planes, Trains, and Auto-Rickshaws: A Journey through Modern India

By Laura Pedersen

Journalist for the New York Times and author Laura Pedersen’s journey to India was motivated by Dr. Bombay, a character on TV show Bewitched. Her initial hesitation succumbed to her desires to experience a country popular with clichés. Her unbiased perspective accounts the differences between American-Indians and Indians from India. From dealing with stereotypical issues that often plague the country to discussing neglected topics, such as women and children, Pedersen observes India beyond the realms of guidebooks.